June 26th, 2009

Michael Jackson | “Boy” 1994

Thriller was the first record anyone ever gave me. It was a present from my brother one year at Christmas.

Yesterday as I am sure you know, Michael Jackson passed away. Last year, almost to the day, George Carlin passed. I will forever now be nervous every June that someone I have had a photographic connection with will suffer the same fate. Both shoots were life altering yet in very different ways and now my archive is proving to be a place you may not want to find yourself: Carlin, the Madoff affair and now Michael.

I made a series of photographs in a warehouse filled to the rafters with Jackson family belongings on a day in January 2004 that started in sunlight and ended in a blizzard.

The story of what, why and how is too long for this simple note, but the experience of being in that room seemed very similar to the story of Citizen Kane.

An empire discarded and lost being sifted through by strangers for profit, understanding, entertainment and basic human inquisitiveness. It was bewildering and changed the way I looked at the world on more levels then I understand.

The lyrics to “We Are The World” – signed by many of those that sang it, rare sketches of Michael’s, costumes, video props, Neverland Valley keepsakes, sex toys, hand written notes, a Pepsi can with Michael printed on it, an MTV Moonman Award, Michael’s Mowtown ID card from 1970, the pair of Michael’s underwear that was to be later seized by prosecutors and talked about around the globe on news channels and many more small little items of curiosity…. I got to see, touch and photograph them all.